UAS Sitka provides a premier educational experience with emphasis on history and culture of the region, natural history and marine biology. Taught by local experts, the setting is in beautiful coastal Alaska and the famous Inside Passage. There are Land/Sea Programs that consist of five days on land and four days aboard an Alaska Marine Highway Ferry. There are also six day Land-based programs, 8, 9, and 14 day Alaska cruises, and Inside passage small cruise boat programs.
Our programs are laid back and lots of fun!
But don't be tempted to take it too easy like this fellow.
You can see lots of these critters on the Inside Passage.
.
You'll spend 5 days in the pristine island town of Sitka and, if the weather is sunny, you'll marvel at the majestic mountains, the island dotted seas, and the picturesque boat harbors. Mt. Edgecumbe towers above it all, doing its impersonation of Mt. Fuji in Japan. Sitka, once a Tlingit village and the former capital of Russian America, is rich in history. You'll investigate this through tours, museum visits, and lectures. You'll learn about the economy and culture, the ocean and rainforest, with an introduction to the physical environment, the habitat of numerous intertidal creatures, birds, marine and land mammals. Take an enlightening look at the development of Southeast Alaska and the effects of the fishing, timber and fur industries. Hotel accommodations in Sitka are double occupancy with private bath. Limited singles available.
The Sea portion takes place onboard an Alaska Marine Highway ferry for a three or four-day trip through the famed Inside Passage. Enjoy shipboard lectures amid sightings of eagles and whales. If you're lucky you may even spot an occasional sea otter or seal. Aboard the ferry, you'll stay in double occupancy cabins with upper and lower berths and private baths.
Learn more about beautiful Sitka-by-the-Sea!
Little Norway. That's what it's called and the flavor of this little Southeast Alaska town is very Norwegian. Explore this fishing village's history, industry, natural history and beautiful oceanside scenery. You'll study marine biology that includes the physical environment, the habitat of numerous intertidal creatures, birds and marine mammals. We'll also take an enlightening look at the developoment of Southeast Alaska and the effects of the oil, fur, whale, timber and fishing industries.
Midway through your stay, board one of our Alaska Marine Highway ferries for a 4-day trip through the magnificent Inside Passage. Shipboard classes will be interspersed with sightings of whales and eagles and stops at unique Alaskan communities such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Haines, Skagway and Wrangell. Explore the natural and cultural resources and management of the Tongass National Forest and Southeast Alaska. Topics include fish, wildlife, forest ecology, wilderness, communities, and special features along the route.
Ferry cabins and hotel rooms are double occupancy with a private bath. On the ferry, you'll have bunk beds. You may want to consider coming a day early since the number of flights to Petersburg each day is limited and weather conditions sometimes prevent planes from arriving as scheduled. Occasionally, getting TO Petersburg is half the fun!
See more about Petersburg by visiting here!
Northbound Ketchikan to Juneau. Enjoy the best of both worlds. Cruise the Inside Passage and stay in quaint Alaskan communities each evening. Begin your adventure in Ketchikan and end in Sitka. On four of your days, cruise on a comfortable 90 ft. motoryacht, The Sheltered Seas, with close-up views of glaciers, waterfalls, whales and wildlife. Sail into narrow fjords inaccessible to large cruise ships: Misty Fjords Wilderness Area, LeConte Glacier, and beautiful Tracy Arm. See small town Alaska in Wrangell and Petersburg. Fly to lively Sitka for three days studying the rich history of the Tlingit Indians and Russian Colonists. Stay in Ketchikan two nights, Petersburg two nights, Juneau one night, and Sitka three nights. Learn from local experts in onshore classes and onboard naturalists.
Same trip as above, but Southbound Juneau to Ketchikan.
This Outdoor Education Elderhostel begins and ends in Sitka, the historical
capital of Russian America. Sitka is rich in Russian and Tlingit Indian history,
with totems and museums much in evidence. In Sitka you'll stay in a hotel, double
occupancy and private bath. It's right downtown and in walking distance of many
of the interesting sites.
For an idea of what it's like at Baranof Warm Springs, visit this site: Baranof
Warm Springs
This water is cold! But the warm springs are soaking temperature!
From Sitka, you will depart for Baranof Warm Springs. Spend six days amid snowcapped peaks, sparkling alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls and lush temperate rainforests. Books, photos and speakers will enliven the history of the now slumbering town of Baranof Hot Springs. Immerse yourself in the pristine beauty of the temperate rainforest while investigating the intertidal zone, geo-thermal hot springs, abundant florest flora and fauna and, of course, those alpine lakes! We'll have sea kayak trips led by qualified guides, engage in nature studies as you hike to mountain lakes or to the natural geothermal pool. At Warm Springs Bay, you'll stay at a wilderness lodge.
We'll return to Sitka by floatplane. This adventure is for physically active
hostelers. The cost of transportation to and from Baranof Warm Springs is included
in the tuition fee.
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Reflect on your day as you soak in an outdoor hot tub or dabble your toes in one of the many pools. |  |
Let the beauty of Southeast Alaska inspire you to capture the scene through several art mediums, including pottery, watercolor, colored pencil and photography classes, with field trips in the morning to explore the history and culture of this historic town. Studio time is in the afternoon. The program is found in the Applied Arts section of the Elderhostel catalog.
The UNIVERSE EXPLORER is a 700 passenger educationally-oriented ship offering 120 elderhostelers the amenities of a cruise ship with the educational components of Elderhostel. Eight, 9 and 14-night round trips from Vancouver, B.C., through the Inside Passage of Canada and Alaska. Most trips include Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Seward, Sitka and Ketchikan. Other stops, depending on itinerary, can include Valdez, Kodiak, Wrangell, Metlakatla and Victoria, B.C.
Explore the wonders of Alaska with your grandchild, building memories and shared experiences: kayaking, survival skills, getting up close and personal to a fish!
Little Norway. That's what it's called and the flavor of this little Southeast Alaska town is very Norwegian. Explore this fishing village's history, industry, natural history and beautiful oceanside scenery. You'll study marine biology that includes the physical environment, the habitat of numerous intertidal creatures, birds and marine mammals. We'll also take an enlightening look at the development of Southeast Alaska and the environmental concerns.
Midway through your stay, board one of our Alaska Marine Highway ferries for a 4-day trip through the magnificent Inside Passage. Shipboard classes will be interspersed with sightings of whales and eagles and stops at unique Alaskan communities such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Haines, Skagway and Wrangell. Explore the natural and cultural resources and management of the Tongass National Forest and Southeast Alaska. Topics include fish, wildlife, forest ecology, wilderness, communities, and special features along the route.
Ferry cabins and hotel rooms are double occupancy with a private bath. On the ferry, you'll have bunk beds. You may want to consider coming a day early since the number of flights to Petersburg each day is limited and weather conditions sometimes prevent planes from arriving as scheduled. Occasionally, getting TO Petersburg is half the fun!
See more about Petersburg by visiting here!
Northbound Ketchikan to Juneau. Enjoy the best of both worlds. Cruise the Inside Passage and stay in quaint Alaskan communities each evening. Begin your adventure in Ketchikan and end in Sitka. On four of your days, cruise on a comfortable 90 ft. motoryacht, The Sheltered Seas, with close-up views of glaciers, waterfalls, whales and wildlife. Sail into narrow fjords inaccessible to large cruise ships: Misty Fjords Wilderness Area, LeConte Glacier, and beautiful Tracy Arm. See small town Alaska in Wrangell and Petersburg. Fly to lively Sitka for three days studying the rich history of the Tlingit Indians and Russian Colonists. Stay in Ketchikan two nights, Petersburg two nights, Juneau one night, and Sitka three nights. Learn from local experts in onshore classes.
Southbound reverse of the trip above.
Studies during this Elderhostel include "The Sea around Us: Marine Biology," "Tlingits and Norwegians: A Blending of Cultures," and "The Alaska Marine Highway: Natural History of The Inside Passage."
Spend six days on land in Sitka, then three days on board a ship of the Alaska Marine Highway cruising through the famous Inside Passage.
WHALES AND EAGLES! The historic former Russian colonial capital of Sitka is the feeding site for scores of humpback whales. During this beautiful island's annual Whale Festival, you'll have the opportunity to learn from internationally recognized marine mammal researchers, sing a sea chanty, and take a whale-watching cruise. Russian and Native history and the ecology of the temperate rainforest and surrounding ocean are subjects that will fill your four days on Baranof Island.
A short flight to the capital city of Juneau will bring you face to face with the Mendenhall Glacier. Visiting Alaska's two capitals, watching whales spout and sound around you and thrilling to the majesty of a glacier will enhance your educational experience. In Juneau you'll board a ferry of the Alaska Marine Highway for a day trip north through the longest fjord on the Pacific Coast. Hanging glaciers, lighthouses and sheer mountain faces accompany us along the journey to Skagway where the Klondike Gold rush comes alive via programs from the Klondike Gold Rush Historic Park and Skagway Museum.
A short ferry ride takes us 15 miles to Haines to view the largest congregation of bald eagles in the world and to enjoy the Bald Eagle Festival. Between 2,000 and 4,000 eagles congregate on the Chilkat River. Programs in Haines will be presented by the Sheldon Jackson Museum and government officials and researchers from Alaska and the Yukon. Study the gold rush stampeders, their madness for gold, law in the frontier and the legacy of a boom and bust economy. A bus trip to the ghost town of Dyea rounds out the gold rush experience.
All accommodations are in hotels. Double occupancy, private bath. (Limited singles available at extra charge.)
Learn more about Skagway. And Haines.
What is it like at an Elderhostel in Sitka?
Here's what a typical dorm room looks like at the housing accomodations
in Sitka.
Each room has a private bath and some have terrific views of the harbor and
Sitka Sound.
Here's what Totem Square Inn looks like as seen from the Sitka
Pioneers Home gardens .
It's located right by one of Sitka's main harbors so you can walk down and
browse among the boats or window shop downtown.
Just about everything is in walking distance!
While you're enjoying the Sitka segment of the Elderhostel,
you'll likely have outdoor picnics,
explorations along the shore, a walk through the forest, and an ample opportunity
to see the splendid mountains that ring this beautiful city.
Photo by Tim Schroeder
Now it's time to launch the expedition onto the Alaska Marine
Highway.
One of the vessels frequently used is the Taku. All aboard!
Meals aboard the ferry are served in the main dining room so
you can meet Alaskans
as well as your fellow Elderhostelers. On this voyage, some local Sitkans
were aboard taking part in a floating bridge tournament!
So that's Sitka. But the Marine Highway is also part of several other Elderhostel adventures and Petersburg has lots of interesting activities waiting for you, too. If you want incredible beauty and the flavor of small towns on the last frontier, contact us!
It's interesting to see what kind of friends you meet on
an Elderhostel.
Some of them can be pretty crabby. 
For more information,
contact our Elderhostel Coordinators for details:
Karen Christner: E-Mail: karen.christner@uas.alaska.edu
Jere Christner: E-Mail: jere.christner@uas.alaska.edu
(for UNIVERSE EXPLORER Cruise Programs)
Here are some helpful sites in planning your Alaskan Adventure!
The Alaska Marine Highway (Ferry) System
We have LOTS of whales who seem to like to entertain us.
Visit the National Elderhostel Home Page.
